Workforce Update - August 2024

Latest News

WSTC Executive Director Announces Retirement

Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County (WSTC), today announced the retirement of its Executive Director, Judy McDonald, effective January 2025. McDonald has led the organization for 28 years, during which time WSTC has grown to become an award-winning, respected leader in the public workforce development arena at both the state and national levels.

Here's why Texas is among the leaders in clean energy jobs

Texas is seeing some of the highest growth in clean energy jobs in the country, according to a new report by the Department of Energy.

NSC Blog: AI in the labor market: A Jump Ball Moment for the Middle Class

We are at a jump ball moment when it comes to AI’s impact on the labor market. We can either use AI to foster economic opportunity for people without a bachelor’s degree and grow the middle class, or we can let it widen existing inequalities and leave workers sitting on the bench.

College costs weigh heavily on Texas students as they wait on late financial aid offers

Delays in the new FAFSA led students to take out debt, enroll in community college over their top-choice universities or opt out of going to college.

More than 28% of Americans are searching for new jobs — the highest rate in a decade

People’s fears of losing their jobs are at the highest point in a New York Fed survey’s 10-year history, even as the unemployment rate remains low.

Opinion: Texas must invest in early reading for long-term success

Accountability for public schools requires urgency. It is time for bold actions.

Texas’ jobless rate inched up in July amid nationwide slowdown

The unemployment rate was higher in 13 states from June to July, and lower in just Connecticut.

Texas' Civilian Labor Force Records Seventh Consecutive Month of Growth

Texas’ seasonally adjusted civilian labor force achieved a new record-high of 15,353,700 after adding 41,900 people over the month in July. This marks a seventh consecutive month of growth for Texas’ civilian labor force. Over the year, Texas’ civilian labor force has added 248,900 people.

After six years of low scores for students learning English, Texas educators say it’s the test’s fault

Students’ scores in a test that gauges their English skills have been low since a redesign introduced computer scoring.

BLOG: Why Texas School Districts are Filing Deficit Budgets

As the 2024-25 school year approaches, Texas school districts are bracing for significant financial challenges. Superintendents and school boards across the state face the daunting task of creating school budgets amid historic inflation, the end of COVID-19 federal funding, and a lack of additional state funding since 2019. Many school districts across the state are adopting deficit budgets and cutting programs, while Texas has $21.2 billion available.

Texas schools got billions in federal pandemic relief. It is coming to an end as the school year starts.

Educators say they’ll struggle to keep the programs they created with those funds, highlighting their precarious situation without more state help.

Senate Releases FY 2025 Education Funding Bill

Senate appropriators on Aug. 1 released and passed the fiscal year (FY) 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies funding bill. The bill would provide $80 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, representing a little more than a 1% increase for the Department of Education, which is in sharp contrast to the 14% cut the House Appropriations Committee approved last month.

The Brand Amplifier for Workforce & Education

TAWB is now live with The Brand Amplifier for Workforce & Education course in partnership with Full Capacity Marketing (FCM). You can check out the landing page for all the details of the course curriculum, and view the national press release that was released earlier this year.

The online self-paced course comes with templates, case studies and tools to help you build a tailored and doable marketing and communications plan. Click on the flyer here to access learning outcomes and descriptions.

Brianna Boyd is no stranger to workforce marketing. As a seasoned journalist in her former life, she has taken on the role of marketing specialist for the Workforce Development Board (WDB) of Solano County and its hosted Small Business Development Center for the past four years. Brianna recently completed the Brand Amplifier for Workforce & Education online course. FCM caught up with her to discover how she is applying what she learned to build a better workforce brand, recruit underserved job seekers, and engage employers.

Best Practices/Success Stories

TAWB is always on the lookout for information about innovative programs that can be

shared and duplicated by other local workforce boards through the TAWB website.

Descriptions may be submitted in narrative form, such as articles and news releases, or

through the TAWB Best Practices Form that can be used to provide basic information

about your program. Recent features include:

2024 Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas Teacher Externship

The fourth annual Workforce Solutions Deep East Texas Teacher Externship took place June 10-14, 2024, following orientation on June 6, 2024. Thirteen businesses and 15 teachers from 11 school districts (10 ISDs and 1 charter school) collaborated to better prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s workforce.

The Externship’s focus was on high-demand occupations in Deep East Texas industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, professional and technical services, and construction.

Southeast Texas Works! Podcast Update

Southeast Texas WFS utilizes this podcast series to share information about their many programs and services and their many industry and education partnerships. 

Texas State Legislature

Several Texas state legislative committees have been meeting recently to address charges given to them during the interim between regular legislative sessions. Upcoming meetings of interest include:

House International Relations & Economic Development Committee

Tuesday, September 10, 2024; 1:30 PM

Monitoring: Monitor the agencies and programs under the Committee’s jurisdiction and oversee the implementation of relevant legislation passed by the 88th Legislature. Conduct active oversight of all associated rulemaking and other governmental actions taken to ensure the intended legislative outcome of all legislation, including the following: 

• HB 1755, relating to the creation of the Lone Star Workforce of the Future Fund; and  
• HB 4451, relating to a report by the Texas Workforce Commission regarding apprenticeship opportunities in this state for emerging and high-demand industries.  

The Committee will receive an update from the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office. 

Early Childhood Education Industry: Evaluate the current state of the early childhood education industry. Review current early childhood policies and evaluate their effectiveness, including barriers to enter the Child Care Services program.

Complete List of Upcoming Texas House Committee Meetings

Complete List of Upcoming Texas Senate Meetings



From Cities to Suburbs: The Economic Developers’ Guide to Attracting & Retaining Millennial Talent

A region's ability to cultivate a millennial-friendly environment and provide the career growth, flexibility, and sense of purpose this generation desires can be a key competitive advantage in attracting investment and driving long-term prosperity.

Upskilling and Reskilling: The Need for Continuous Workforce Development

In today's ever-evolving job market, staying ahead means continuously evolving your community's skills. Metrix Learning's latest whitepaper, "Upskilling and Reskilling: The Need for Continuous Workforce Development," delves into how workforce boards can spearhead these efforts to stay ahead.

New Resource: Strategies for Addressing CTE Teacher Shortages

ACTE is releasing a new resource, Staffing Outside the Box: Strategies for Addressing CTE Teacher Shortages.

States on the Leading Edge of Non-Degree Credential Data Ecosystem Development

States have invested significantly in non-degree credentials (NDCs) to meet their growing needs for a diverse and skilled workforce. Good data on NDCs ensure that public investments help workers, students, businesses, and policymakers meet workforce goals.

State Financial Aid for Non-Degree Credential Programs and Pathways: Insights and Considerations

In recent years, non-degree credentials (NDCs) have gained traction as a viable pathway for people seeking to enhance their skills and improve their job prospects in an affordable, flexible, and timely way. However, while these programs are relatively more affordable than degree programs, many students and workers still face financial barriers to cover associated costs—and few have access to financial aid programs that work for them.

Board Meeting Effectiveness Assessment

All boards should evaluate the effectiveness of their meetings. Ask your members to complete this downloadable survey after each meeting and then use the results to determine where you might make improvements.

Nonprofit Board Committee Members: Who Should Serve on Which Committee?

Determining which board members should serve on which committees requires some strategy. You may consider several factors, including experience and expertise, the ability to think critically and independently, and ensuring diverse representation. 

August Texas Labor Market Review

Monthly newsletter produced by TWC Labor Market and Career Information Department

covering issues relating to the Texas economy.

C2 Global Professional Services was founded to offer a viable, and now successfully proven, alternative to what is available in terms of service providers. We look for Workforce Investment Board partners to commit to working beyond workforce dogma to improve communities, invest in staff development to achieve exceptional customer service and invest in innovation and technology to improve the system.

iCEV: Since 1984, iCEV has specialized in providing quality CTE curriculum and educational resources. iCEV is the most comprehensive online resource for CTE educators and students, offering curriculum for several major subject areas, including agricultural science, trade & industrial education, business & marketing, career exploration, family & consumer science, health science, law enforcement and STEM education. Additionally, iCEV acts as a certification testing platform for industry certifications. Nationally and internationally recognized companies and organizations utilize iCEV as the testing platform for their certifications. For more information, visit www.icevonline.com.

The Conover Company has been developing tools for over 40 years to help workforce professionals assess and train their clients with the social and emotional skills for success. Their online tools help you stay focused on outcomes by making sure the assessments drive training so it is meaningful for every individual client you serve and you get the results you are looking for.

Equifax/Carahsoft delivers trusted, unique data, analytics, technology, and expertise to drive innovation and transform knowledge into insights. Equifax empowers government agencies, nonprofit organizations, workforce boards and commercial clients to make more informed decisions, maximize program efficiency, and improve the customer experience. Equifax manages The Work Number®, the largest, centralized commercial repository of consolidated employment and income information for use by the private and public sectors. For customers with a permissible purpose under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), Equifax enables real-time eligibility decisions by providing verifications of employment and income. Data is updated every pay period (as provided by the employer), so you have access to the most up-to-date information to gauge program success of the individuals who have elected to participate in the program. For more information about the Equifax Products and Services visit the website https://www.carahsoft.com/equifax or contact us at 844.747.6222.

Equus Workforce Solutions: Our dedicated and passionate team of 2,500+ workforce

professionals puts the industry's best practices to work across more than 350 North American locations, assisting approximately 1.9 million job seekers and thousands of employers annually. Together with our partners and collaborators, we work every day to change lives, advance economies, and help communities thrive.

Geographic Solutions is the leading provider of integrated software for state and local workforce agencies in over 35 states and U.S. territories. For 30 years, the company has developed innovative online solutions for job seekers, employers, service providers, and agency staff that enhance service delivery and increase customer satisfaction. Geographic Solutions’ custom software solutions effectively manage all federally-funded partner programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and have been designed specifically to meet the diverse needs of American Job Centers, economic development agencies, human service entities, unemployment agencies, departments of corrections, and educational institutions.

Grant Associates is a national, award-winning workforce development company. Since opening our doors in 1997, we have collaborated with government agencies to develop workforce programs and solutions that create the opportunities that advance job seekers, businesses and local economies, all with exceptional results. At Grant Associates, we know every community's workforce needs are unique. With proven models and in active partnership with government, Grant Associates' mission is to tailor solutions that build workforce capacity, proving over the past two decades that our approach helps a community reach its true potential.

KRA Corporation, a national leader in workforce development for 40+ years, supports workforce boards by delivering WIOA, TANF, SNAP-E&T, and related programs, including initiatives targeting specific employer and jobseeker requirements. A black-owned company, KRA leads efforts to integrate DEI into workforce development. We also lead the industry in delivering a consultative approach to business services, and infuse family-focused principles into everything we do. KRA leverages all available resources, partnering to integrate education, skills development, occupational training, support services, and employment. KRA provides the highest levels of innovative programming, exceptional service, and trusted results for all valued clients, businesses, and jobseekers.

Metrix Learning® is an online learning platform designed to meet the needs of states, workforce boards, and their customers. Learners can assess their job skills, remediate skill gaps, and take over 100 certification training programs to prepare for new employment opportunities. Metrix Learning® offers over 6,000 online courses, career pathways tools, digital badges, gamification, and is integrated with WorkInTexas.

Purpose Co is a workforce consulting firm that specializes in designing and implementing custom workforce solutions and strategies that create sustainable outcomes for people and businesses, including pathways to quality in-demand jobs, economic mobility, competitive businesses and regional economic prosperity, including solutions that address the specific needs of job seekers, workers, employers and practitioners.

QuickStart exists to create world-class technologists by personalizing and individualizing training to address the massive skills gap in the IT industry. Through 20 years of research and data analysis, we’ve learned that a modern learner prefers to learn through multiple modalities such as self-paced online learning, virtual instructor-led training, on-the-job training, implementation and hands-on experience through labs, mentoring, and social and peer-to-peer learning. We packaged all the modalities into a single cloud-based platform called CLIPP.

Texas Economic Development Council: The Texas Economic Development Council (TEDC) is an Austin-based professional association for economic developers across the state of Texas. We are the largest state association of economic development professionals, volunteers, and elected officials. Our membership consists of over 1,000 individuals, representing more than 630 public and private economic development organizations, including more than 400 communities. Our diverse and expansive membership shares a common goal -- bringing new investment and jobs to Texas by developing strategies that promote a positive business climate in our state.